Something's Gotta Give

Chapter 9

"Yes, and your mother and sister arrived about an hour ago and said that they have been called in to help her plan the wedding." Penny held the kitten close to her chest unable to understand why she felt a sudden sense of unease.

"Billy?" Sam asked, moving past her and grabbing a water from the fridge.

"Yes and he's bringing a friend."

Sam grew very still and he lost some of his color.

"Who?"

"Someone named Celeste?" Penny said it softly.

Sam let loose with a string of curse words and then turned his back to her as he took a sip of water.

"Regan and your mother seemed upset at the thought as well," Penny said, more for something to say then because she thought it would help. It wasn't any of her business, maybe if she changed the subject.

"I called to check on my father today and they said you were no longer his Doctor?"

Sam took so long to answer that she thought he didn't hear her, but when he turned around he seemed to have his emotions under control. "Yes, I thought it might be a conflict of interest so I passed his case on to one of my colleagues."

Penny nodded. "Thank you for the kitten."

He walked towards her quickly and before she had time to move he had blocked her in, his arms to either side of her with the kitchen island behind her. He looked into her eyes searchingly. "I am very sorry for last night." His voice was low and gruff.

Penny watched his gaze as it dropped to her lips and her heart sped up as she clutched the kitten closer to her. "I know and I said I forgave you."

"Do you really? Why?" He searched her eyes again looking for an answer.

"That's what friends do," she whispered and his gaze dropped down to her lips. He was so devastatingly handsome, a lock of his hair had fallen across his forehead and his brown eyes had darkened.

He placed his hand on her chest and neck, feeling her heartbeat.

She froze closing her eyes focusing on the feel of his hand, she was so focused on the feel of it that his lips taking hers caught her completely off guard and she couldn't help the little cry that escaped her. It only took a second before she was kissing him back, her free hand had wandered onto his neck and her fingers ran into his hair. She felt him shiver as he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer.

When the kitten gave a protesting cry they both broke the kiss looking down at the tiny little creature. Then they heard footsteps coming down the hall and Sam turned around reaching for his water. Penny dropped the kitten into her apron pocket where it landed softly, before she turned around and picked up her spoon. She just made it back to the stove as Regan entered with the baby on her hip.

Sam had picked up his jacket and was rolling up his sleeves.

"Sam, your home," Reagan said surprised.

"Yes, I was just asking Penny about all the extra food and she was filling me in on all our expected guests." He looked cool and collected and not in the least like he had just kissed her senseless.

Luckily Penny was standing over the hot stove so any redness in her cheeks could be blamed on the steam.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" Regan asked, looking concerned. 

Penny didn't know who this Celeste was but she knew she wasn't good news.

"Sure talk," Sam said leaning against the table taking a sip of his water. Penny noted that he had instantly pulled back to being who he was before Sydney and Cole's visit. The change was so dramatic and quick it caught her off guard.

Regan looked over at Penny.

"Don't worry about Penny, she's worked for me for two years, I trust her." Maybe it was Penny's imagination but she thought she heard and extra stress placed on the word trust.

Regan still seemed unsure as she moved the baby to her other hip and Sam reached over to take him from her. "For goodness sake Regan the woman knows the color of my underwear," Sam joked.

Penny couldn't help the squeak that escaped. "Only because I wash them!" she hissed.

Sam looked amused by her increase of color before he turned his attention to the baby. "Say what you have to say, I need to check my messages and I want to change before dinner."

Regan looked from one to the other then seemed to dismiss whatever she had been thinking. Penny reached into her pocket and stroked the little kitten who had curled into a little ball and was purring away.

"Billy's bringing Celeste with him," she hissed, as if whispering would make it easier to tell.

"That's what Penny just told me."

"So Penny knows?" Regan looked between the two of them confused.

"Not that I know of, but I imagine that one of you mentioned her name and it was repeated to me."

"You're not upset?" Regan looked even more confused.

"Oh, I'm upset but showing that I am would only let Billy and her win, and I won't allow that." He gave an ugly smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Why would Billy bring her?" Regan looked sad.

"Billy has never liked me. He has always tried to take what was mine ever since we were children. As far as I'm concerned those two deserve each other."

Penny peeked over her shoulder at him and noted that he was thinking something other than what he was saying. His left eye had narrowed and it always narrowed when he was working on a hard question. Regan must have noticed the look too.

"What aren't you saying Sam?"

He shrugged, "I don't think this is Billy's idea. Celeste is up to something or I don't know my ex-wife." It was a very dramatic statement which seemed to counteract his suddenly playfulness with the baby.

Penny was floored and was glad her back was to both of them. Sam had been married? How had she not known about it? She suddenly had a lot of other questions, none of which were her business so she quickly pushed them away.

"Regan, if you bring the pack and play down here I'll keep an eye on Ian, dinner is just about under control," Penny offered at the tense silence that had developed.

"Would you, you're sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all." Penny smiled at her over her shoulder, her eyes bouncing off of Sam who was busy with the baby.

Reagan took off like a shot before she changed her mind, and Penny couldn't help but smile as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the kitten, holding the yawing fur ball close.

Sam was watching her. "I told you earlier about being haunted by my past, Celeste is it."

"It's none of my business Dr. Evers," she said, meeting his eyes.

"After last night it is, I owe you and explanation and it might be the only way I can ever make you understand why I behaved as badly as I did, and get you to call me Sam again." He sighed as he looked at the baby then back at her. "But it's going to have to wait."

He looked so handsome as she sat there cuddling the baby. What would it feel like to have that be their baby? She dropped her eyes from his before he could read her thoughts.

"Did you decide what you're going to name her?" He nodded to the kitten who had meowed loudly again so Penny slipped her back into her pocket, "I think Sentry is apt," she said just before Regan walked back into the kitchen.

She didn't know why she was hiding the cat.  It was Sam's house and if he wanted to have a cat in it, who was anyone to object, but Sentry was more than a cat, she was a peace offering and a private moment between the two of them, and she wasn't willing to share that yet.